The Environmental Protection Ministry has noted large quantities of black beetles in various towns around Israel.
According the to Ministry, the beetles are not harmful and do not transfer illnesses to people, so there is no reason to exterminate them.
The Calosoma olivieri beetles, which are part of the Carabidae family, average 2.5 centimeters in length, and are of the species.
The species aids agriculture, since it efficiently consumes insects which live in agricultural fields and often consumes harmful insects such as cockroaches.
The insects fly into urban areas during the evening hours, landing on the ground and searching for a place to hide. Usually, they die within a few hours. Their presence may cause a disturbance, but will usually end within a short time.
Those who see the beetles are asked not to exterminate them unless they show up in unusually large numbers within a locality and causes disturbances. In those cases, the Ministry asks that only localized extermination be used and only at the site itself, in order to prevent damage to property and to the public.
Legal steps will be taken against exterminators who do not follow the guidelines, the Ministry added.